Most Overrated & Underrated Schools

Peer Rank Peer Score School Overall Rank Difference

1

4.8

Yale University

1

0

1

4.8

Harvard University

2

1

3

4.7

Stanford University

3

0

4

4.6

Columbia University

4

0

4

4.6

University of Chicago

4

0

6

4.4

New York University

6

0

6

4.4

University of California-Berkeley

9

3

6

4.4

University of Michigan

10

4

9

4.3

University of Pennsylvania

7

-2

9

4.3

University of Virginia

8

-1

11

4.2

Duke University

10

-1

12

4.1

Northwestern University

12

0

12

4.1

Cornell University

13

1

12

4.1

Georgetown University

13

1

15

4

University of Texas-Austin

15

0

16

3.9

UCLA

16

0

17

3.8

Vanderbilt University

16

-1

18

3.6

Washington University (MO)

18

0

19

3.5

University of Minnesota

20

1

19

3.5

USC

20

1

19

3.5

University of North Carolina

31

12

Source: U.S. News & World Report 2015 ranking of the best law schools
Generally, the top 20 ranked schools correspond with academic peer assessment. Boalt Hall and the University of Michigan are generally held in higher regard by academics than the overall rankings, while the University of Pennsylvania isn’t ranked as highly. Ironically, Yale Law and Harvard are perceived as equals by academics. However, the big winner is the University of North Carolina, which is rated as highly as stalwarts like USC and the University of Minnesota.
Looking for schools whose peer assessment outpace their overall rank? Check out this list:
(See next page for law schools that perform better according to academics than their ranking indicates)

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